Wish you were here
by Misura
Summary: Seto has been gone for almost a year now and Joey begins to doubt if he really cares. [SetoJoey]
1. Beginning

Wish you were here

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey, slightly weird at times, slight fluff

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Wish you were here' belongs to Blackmore's Night.

written at 27th october 2003, by Misura

For Sparky Knight, with apologies for picking the easiest one. ^^;

**********

[Joey]

_//Wish you were here_

_Me, oy, my countryman_

_Wish you were here//_

He remembered the last time he'd tried to call Seto. 

Usually, Seto called him, in between meetings. Due to the time-diference between Japan and Europe, those calls had sometimes come in the middle of the night, waking up his father.

He hadn't cared.

It was worth being yelled at, if it meant he'd be able to hear Seto's voice again. He'd known Seto was busy ; his tiredness was so audible he had worriedly asked if Seto was getting enough sleep once, even if he knew Seto hated being fussed over.

Seto had called him a 'silly mutt' and scoffed that he was just fine.

He hadn't cared about that either.

_//I wish you were here//_

"I'm sorry, Mister ... Wheeler, but Mister Kaiba isn't available at the moment." A woman, coolly denying him his wish, talking like if *she* had anything to say about it, Kaiba would never be available for the likes of him.

"Can't you at least ask him, tell him it's me?" He had hated the pleading tone in his voice and for a brief moment imagined asking Kaiba to fire her or something like that. Petty, perhaps.

She had sighed, causing him for one moment to feel a little guilty. Seto probably wasn't the easiest person to work for after all. "Listen, Mister Wheeler, I really can't bother - "

"Please!" He had laid every ounce of conviction he possessed in that single word, praying it would be enough to sway her. "Please."

_//Don't you know snow is getting colder?//_

"Very well then. One moment." He had felt jubilant then, certain that in a few more seconds he'd be talking to Seto about what they'd do once he got back. In one month, they'd meet again face to face.

Or so Seto had promised him during their last conservation.

"Mister Kaiba is too busy to speak to you. As I predicted." She had sounded smug, a little peeved at having her knowledge of her boss questioned, but satisfied now that *she*'d been proven right.

"He said that?" He hadn't been able to believe it. Surely Seto missed him just as much as he missed Seto? Surely Seto wouldn't ...

"Yes." A part of him hadn't wanted to take that for the truth, had told him she was just lying to get rid of him. Still, he hadn't seen the sense in arguing with her. He'd hung up, feeling numb.

_//And I miss you like hell//_

Seto had called him four days later, at three in the morning. They'd talked for about half an hour, longer than usual, because some meeting had been canceled, leaving Seto with some spare time.

He hadn't brought up the subject of the secretary then, nor in any of the following conversations during the next three months, after Seto had prolonged his stay.

He told himself it wasn't important, that it wasn't worth wasting breath on. Not even to himself would he admit that he was afraid of what Seto would say to his complaint, what commonplace apology he would receive.

It was eating away at him, this uncertainty. True, Seto kept calling him, true, he always sounded happy to hear Joey, but ... how much of that was out of habit, how much wishful thinking?

There was no way he could know. If only Seto would come back ...

Once they were face to face again, once Seto'd put his arms around him again, he would be certain of the other's love for him. Or see it for a lie, a truth of the past.

_//And I'm feelin' blue//_

Joey sighed, staring at the ceiling of his room. Perhaps he should call Yugi, to ask if that offer for an evening of watching movies and eating popcorn was still open.

His friends were worried about him, he knew. Worried about the way he tended to hurry home after school, to make sure he'd be there if Seto would happen to call.

Nowadays it sometimes seemed he lived only for school and the phonecalls of a person who might not even care more about him than some stupid businessmeeting. Pathetic, really, when he thought about it. When had he become so dependent on Seto for his happiness?

He should leave and have fun with Yugi and the others. Who cared if Seto'd call to find him not at home? It might do his lover good, to find out he wasn't the person Joey's life revolved around.

_//I've got feelings for you//_

"I don't need him." Joey mumbled, angry at himself for still not moving to leave, to pick up the phone and go tell Yugi to expect him in a few minutes.

Finally though he forced himself to do it, to dial Yugi's number and wait for Grandfather to pick up with his familiar greeting "With the Turtle Game Shop, how may I help you?".

"Can I talk to Yugi please?" A look at the clock told him it was half past eight ; about the time Seto had called previously. He gritted his teeth, determined not to give in to the panicked urge to put down the horn.

"Hi, Joey!" Yugi sounded cheerful. Of course, *his* lover never left him for some stupid trip to the other end of the world. Yugi didn't know by half how lucky he was to have someone like Yami ...

"Yug, could I come over tonight? I feel kinda lonely." He confessed it freely, knowing Yugi would understand and not think less of him for the outburst.

"Sure! You're always welcome! Oh, excuse me for a moment. Yami, could you - " Yugi's voice faded away and Joey grimaced. He could picture Yugi standing there, receiver in his hand, while Yami walked by, a curious look on his face, could almost hear Yugi explaining in a whisper Joey was on the line, asking if he could come over. Yami'd smile, nodding and saying it was about time Joey crept out of his shell a little.

_//Do you still feel the same?//_

For a moment he felt an overwhelming jealousy. Would he and Seto ever be like that? He doubted it ; Seto would always be CEO of Kaiba Corp first, Mokuba's big brother second ... and maybe, if he was lucky, the lover of Joey Wheeler, third.

Determinedly shoving these bitter thoughts to a distant corner of his mind, Joey grabbed his jacket and walked to the door, only to be halted by his father, yelling something.

Normally, he'd have ignored it, but ...

"Joey, one Seto Kaiba for you on the phone!"

_//From the first time I laid my eyes on you//_

For a few seconds, he wanted to leave anyway, to shrug and walk away, to let Seto feel for once what it felt like to be denied.

Yami might have assured him that would be the best thing, but Yugi'd probably tell him to follow his heart, to run back and tear the receiver out of his father's hand to tell Seto how much he was missing him. In the end, he did neither.

Instead, he calmly walked back, waiting for his father to leave the room with a scowl on his face. Taking a deep breath, he said "Hello Seto."

"Hello, Joey." Seto's voice sounded odd. He wondered if something was wrong with Seto or if it was merely a bad line. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

*****

Ten minutes later, Joey was back in his room, staring, not at the ceiling this time, but at the first and only picture that had ever been taken of him and Seto together.

_//I felt joy of living//_

Mokuba had made it, sneaking up on them in a rather intimate moment. Well, they'd shared more intimate things than a kiss on the couch of course, but they'd still been rather embarrassed at the time.

Seto hadn't talked to his little brother for days after, until the situation got so much on both Mokuba's and Joey's nerves that they forced him to give it up.

He smiled, remembering that afternoon and so many others, just the three of them fooling around. It had surprised him how relaxed Seto could be when in private. It made sense in a way, he considered, given that Mokuba was Seto's brother after all, and no one could ever say *he* was stiff or cold.

There should have been some awkwardness, with him intruding on their family-life, but he couldn't remember any time when he had not been happy in Seto's company.

That was the crux of the problem of course ; when he was *with* Seto, the world was a bright and wonderful place, but too often, Seto wasn't there.

_//I saw heaven in your eyes//_

On the picture, Seto's eyes were slightly widened, probably due to the surprise of seeing the flash of the camera. His own were closed, a goofy grin on his face as he leaned back against the cushions.

He wondered if Seto had his copy of the image with him too, if he ever looked at it and wished they were back there and then.

"Well, I can ask him soon enough I guess."

Taking a last look at the thing, he put the picture back in the lowest drawer of his desk and walked down the stairs again, grabbing the keys of his bike in passing.

The feeling of the wind in his hair as he sped through the streets of Domino was better than it had been in a long time, no longer reminding him of his loneliness. 

Memories of long rides with no other purpose than to get away, to share the illusion of being free with the only person he would give up his freedom for, filled his mind, almost to the point where he hardly noticed the traffic around him anymore, but this time, they brought expectation, rather than longing.

_//In your eyes//_

The airport was crowded as ever at this hour. Somehow though, he noticed Seto almost at once, saw blue eyes light up for a moment, before Seto calmly started walking his way, after saying something to the flight attendant, who nodded friendly.

Joey told himself it didn't disappoint him, that he wouldn't have expected Seto to jump in his arms, sobbing how much he'd missed him. He grinned a little at the thought. 

By the time he came face to face with Seto, Joey was smiling, as carefree and cheerful as ever.

~tbc~


	2. Middle

Wish you were here

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey, slightly weird at times, slight fluff

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Wish you were here' belongs to Blackmore's Night.

written at 28th october 2003, by Misura

For Sparky Knight, with apologies for picking the easiest one. ^^;

Thanks to all the people who reviewed the first chapter of this!!!

**********

[Seto]

_//Wish you were here_

_Me, oh, my countryman_

_Wish you were here//_

Impatiently drumming his fingers on the leaning of his seat, Seto stared out of the window. Compared to his private-jet, this public airplane was about as fast as a flying slug. He'd had no choice though. 

If he'd arrived in his own -highly recognizable- plane, the media would be on to him immediately, to hear all details of the deals he'd made in Europe. Which he didn't feel like giving. Not to mention how it would ruin his reunion with Joey to be surrounded by journalists.

And so he had quietly packed some of his most necessary belongings, ordered the remaining things to be sent after him and had taken the first flight back to Japan.

Mokuba had poutingly agreed not to come to the airport in exchange for a visit to the ice-cream parlor the next day. "You can bring Joey too, if you want to, of course." his little brother had added, with an impish grin that was clearly audible over the phone.

"I'll ask him." had been his reply, prompting Mokuba to giggle and remark that, if there was free food to be had, Joey would definitely be there.

"And so he can enjoy your company a little longer too, big brother." There had been a serious undertone to Mokuba's voice then, letting Seto know he might have to make up for his absence to the blond. At least, Mokuba seemed to think so.

_//I wish you were here//_

Mokuba also seemed to think that he and Joey could simply pick their relationship back up, continue where they had left off. Or rather, where *Seto* had left off.

To go to Europe had been *his* decision, even if there might have been other people capable of carrying out the negotiations just as well, possibly even better. That he was one of the most successful CEOs of the world wasn't thanks to his social skills after all.

Both of them, Mokuba and Joey, had tried to convince him to stay. He had adamantly refused.

"I can't trust any of them." he had told them, and Mokuba had stared at him with big, sad eyes, before nodding and saying he understood. Joey had been a lot less complacent.

_//Don't you know the snow is getting colder?//_

"Damn it, Seto, what is it with you and that attitude of yours?" He had wondered then, couldn't help but wondering if maybe his relationship with Joey wasn't as perfect as he had considered it to be.

"What attitude?" His tone had been one of annoyance, mainly with himself for not noticing something sooner, for being unable to explain to the person he loved most, after Mokuba, why he felt like he did.

Joey had taken it the wrong way. That particular conversation had ended in yelling, the slamming of doors and an entire week of them studiously ignoring eachother. Since they were living in the same house, neither of their moods had improved much during that period.

If it hadn't been for Mokuba, things might have ended there and then.

Instead of here and now? The question kept playing through his head, making it impossible for him to concentrate on the data on the screen of his laptop. When the landing-procedure commenced and he had to turn it off, he was almost glad of it.

_//And I miss you like hell//_

Joey had never called him, even if he'd made sure the blond always had his number. 'For emergencies only', he had said, but ... surely Joey had known he'd merely meant they couldn't spend hours talking on the phone every day, no matter how much they'd both want to?

Every time a secretary had interrupted a conference, or had simply walked unexpectedly into his temporal office, he had expected there to be a call from Joey.

In the end, unable to bear this gnawing uncertainty any longer, he'd snarled at the persons who'd suggested him to postpone his departure and left. 

He'd felt both relieved and angry when he had boarded the plane that would take him home, back to Joey and Mokuba.

_//And I'm feeling blue//_

Closing his eyes, he saw the picture that had costed Mokuba a week's icecream, as a punishment for sneaking up on him and Joey to make it. In part, it had also been his own fault, for getting a little bit too intimate with the blond at a place where Mokuba could easily spot them, but ...

Seto had by no means the illusion his little brother was as innocent as he once was, without a clue of what went on in his -and now also Joey's- bedroom. And still ...

He ought to be grateful to Mokuba ; he didn't have any other pictures of him and Joey together without them being rivals. There were some other images from Joey he'd collected from the newspapers over the years, yet none of them depicted Joey so utterly ravishable and adorable as the photo he owed Mokuba.

The odd look the flight-attendant was throwing in his direction, warned him he had been smiling, involuntarily, at the thought of blond, tousled hair and eyes the color of dark honey. Ah well, he'd deal with that stain on his public image later.

It wouldn't do if people would start to think Seto Kaiba had suddenly gone soft after all.

_//I miss your laugh, I miss your smile//_

He spotted Joey the moment he strolled into the main hall. While waiting for his luggage to arrive, he studied the blond, comparing him to the person he had left behind.

The first thing he noticed was Joey's broodful look. Unlike some of the other people in the hall who were obviously also here to welcome someone home, the blond didn't seem very eager or excited at the prospect of the coming reunion.

Rather, he looked like someone who knew something unpleasant was coming up and stayed where he was only because he didn't have another choice.

Mokuba's predictions apparently weren't as accurate as he'd hoped. Seto sighed. He wanted to go talk to Joey, the sooner, the better. What the heck was taking his luggage so long to arrive? 

_//I miss everything about you//_

"You can have these delivered to my mansion." Seto ordered, when his bags and suitcases finally got carried in. "Except for this one." He picked up the case that contained his laptop, then hesitated.

According to their last conversation, Joey came here on his old motorbike. Which probably meant the briefcase would only get in his way, might even fall, thus likely damaging the precious computer packed within (or rather, the information its hard-drive contained).

Without another word, Seto put the case back and turned to walk towards Joey. A slight smirk played on his lips as he heard the muttered comments from behind him.

When he came face to face with Joey, he wondered if he'd just imagined his lover looking rather less cheerful than normal. The smile Joey wore was as bright as in his memories and his dreams, in cold and lonely beds in hotelrooms that seemed all the emptier for their size

_//Every second's like a minute//_

The first moments, neither of them spoke. Then, they started speaking both at the same time, falling silent as soon as they noticed. Their eyes met.

And Seto Kaiba considered he'd never placed much value on what people thought about him anyway, nor did he intend to do so now.

He'd really missed Joey, missed his laugh, his smile, his kisses and the way it felt to bury his hands in that soft, golden hair.

Why would he deny himself that feeling, just because they were in public?

~tbc [-_-;]~


	3. Ending

Wish you were here

Warnings/notes : Seto/Joey, slightly weird at times, slight fluff

Disclaimer : I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. The song 'Wish you were here' belongs to Blackmore's Night.

written at 29th october 2003, by Misura

Thanks to the people who reviewed the second chapter :

To Rei Akita : I did! At least, I hope so … : )

To Kaira-chan : ^^; But it'll all get well in the end, I promise. ^_^

To ColeyCarissa : Thanks!

To Mel Gods : Well, maybe in the Yu Gi Oh-world, people wouldn't mind. Hey, they let Pegasus run around free as well, don't they? ^^; Glad you liked it!

To Kiawna : Awww, come on, you know it's going to end happy, ne? ^^;

To DarkShadowFlame : No, no, your conclusion's quite right. She probably thought he'd only yell at her for interrupting him in a meeting. -_-; Thank you!

To Samurai-Ashes : Thank you! ^_^

To Xiaoling's Ying Fa : I ah haven't even *heard* the song I'm afraid (this being a request-fic and all that). ^^; But I'm glad to hear you like it. And I got out this chapter in a mere week! *beams proudly* Hope you'll enjoy it! ^_^

To Shadowmara : Thank you!

To Hidden : *nods* They do, don't they? Thank you!

To hieiandkuramalover : Well, I did get an Error-report when I uploaded the previous chapter. Seems like ff.net's having some trouble again. -_-; But anyway, glad to hear you enjoyed it! (I'm working on your request-fic as well by the way, though it probably won't be finished for another month or so ^^;). 

*

For Sparky Knight, who either dislikes this story or has simply forgotten about it. ;_; (Please tell me if you hate it! I mean, I did write it for you!)

**********

[Seto and Joey]

_//Every minute's like a day//_

It was rather strange, Seto reflected, how he had missed Joey for so long and now, when they were together again, he felt like he'd never been away.

With his arms put around Joey's waist and his head resting against the blond's back, the purr of the engine just loud enough to drown out the other sounds of their surroundings, Seto wondered how he'd ever been able to leave, to risk losing the opportunity to do this for the sake of ... what?

The time that he'd had to expand Kaiba Corp to ensure Mokuba's future was long past. He'd made more than enough money for his little brother to be sure of never having to work, if he'd choose to do so. Which Mokuba wouldn't, of course, because they were too much alike.

"Have you ever thought about going away, just following the road to wherever it would take you?" Joey asked, an odd note to his voice.

Seto snorted. He rarely drove anywhere himself, though, unlike Joey, he did have his driver's license. He failed to see what was the fun of it, really, tearing down some deserted road at a speed high enough to cause accidents if something unexpected went wrong. Like with his and Mokuba's real parents, a failing brake .... 

"No, can't say I have." It wasn't the same for Joey ; with a father like his and his mother and sister living elsewhere, it was only to be expected the blond would fantasize about escaping from it all.

_//When you're far away//_

"I often dreamt about it, fantasized how it would be." Joey stared at the horizon, not adding he'd never actually gotten around to attempting to do it in reality. Somehow, there had always been something there to hold him back, to make him postpone it.

_Tomorrow_, he'd tell himself, _tomorrow I'll finally go. Today, I'll stay, to help Gramps and Yugi in the shop. I promised. I can't let Yug down after all._

And so, time had slipped through his fingers. Until he met Seto, the not quite so bad guy that was hiding behind the mask of Kaiba.

"You wouldn't have come very far." Seto informed him calmly. "Things like that are only fit for fantasies."

"Why not? Do you still think I'm some weak puppy, unable to take care of himself?" Joey challenged, stung by Seto's attitude.

"I do imagine you'd grow hungry pretty soon, yes." Seto smirked. "Considering the quality of your own cooking, I doubt if you'd have had much choice but to return. Or starve."

"There's nothing wrong with my cooking!" Joey retorted heatedly. Shizuka had assured him he was a great cook. That she had said it over the phone, after politely declining an invitation for dinner, did not diminish the value of her statement.

"Even *Mokuba* says it, and I quote, 'could use some improvement', end quote." Seto shook his head. "Face it mutt, you're hopeless in the kitchen."

_//The snow is getting colder, baby//_

Joey sighed. There was no arguing with Seto about something his little brother had said, unless it was something Seto didn't agree with himself, like 'I think it's a great idea to skip school today and go to the beach instead', which invariably met with a glare and a shake of the head.

"I could have found a job ... " he proposed hopefully. Somehow, even if it seemed unlikely he'd ever leave while he was still living with Seto, he wanted to keep that dream alive, wanted to believe the chance to go away would always be there.

"Yes, you probably could." Seto agreed. "But, my puppy, I'd never have let you. I'd never have let you leave Domino with so much left undone between us."

Joey shivered as cold hands slipped under his jacket, under his shirt, slowly trailing upwards until they met on his chest, over his heart. Soft lips brushed over the back of his neck.

"You're ah distracting me from the road." As if to emphasize his point, the bike swerved to the right in a movement that might have been dangerous if the road hadn't been deserted of any other traffic.

"So?" Seto purred. "Stop the bike."

Joey considered that maybe the long absence of his boyfriend had been good for something after all.

_//I wish you were here//_

"Is there anywhere in particular you wanted to go?" Joey asked, about half an hour later. Since Seto had ordered his luggage to be delivered to his mansion, there was no real need to go there right away, though it was likely Seto'd want to see Mokuba.

"Not really. Someplace nice for dinner perhaps?" Seto proposed. Most of the tiredness of his journey seemed to have disappeared.

"I'm not really hungry." Joey grimaced as his stomahc rumbled in disagreement. "Actually, I am, but I'd rather have you to myself for a little while longer, if you know what I mean."

Seto nodded with a slight smile. "Agreed. Still, you sound like you could use something to eat. And I must admit that what I got in the plane wasn't too filling."

"We could go to the icecream-parlor." Joey proposed, looking disturbingly much like Mokuba, when *he* was pleading for icecream. The two of them had found they had a lot in common.

"I'm already going with Mokuba tomorrow." Seto grumbled. One portion of icecream a week was more than enough in his opinion. "You're invited too, if you want to come."

"Of course! If it's your treat!" Joey beamed, accepting as eagerly as Mokuba had predicted.

[next day]

_//A battlefield of love and fear//_

"You're trying to make a beggar out of me." Seto accused, pointedly staring at the two bowls in front of his little brother and Joey. Especially compared to his own, their portions were huge. Mokuba's was biggest of them all.

"I'm still a growing boy." Mokuba smiled brightly. "I need the energy."

Privately Seto thought Mokuba would be better served with a little less energy to make mischief, but he knew better than to try and argue the point. Instead, he turned to Joey.

"And, pup, what's your excuse?" Seto grinned, resisting the urge to lean over and lick away a bit of chocolate icecream that was slowly gliding down Joey's cheek.

"Icecream's a comfort food." Joey declared, turning his eyes big and wobbly. He wasn't as skilled as Mokuba, who had taught him how to do it, since the result was comical rather than convincing.

Seto sighed, while Mokuba giggled, apparently knowing where this conversation was headed.

"What would you need comfort for?" Seto asked, feeling like some trained pet, but too curious to the answer not to play along. Besides, he had missed Mokuba and Joey's pranks a little during his long absence, even if he'd never admit that to their faces.

There seemed to be few people he could be himself around these days, or people who dared to treat him like he wasn't anyone else but the CEO of Kaiba Corp.

_//And I wish you were here//_

"Can it be he really doesn't know? But big brother!" Mokuba exclaimed, sadly shaking his head at so much ignorance.

"You haven't said you loved me a single time since you got back." Joey miserably brought a full spoon to his mouth. "Not once." Only the sparkle in light brown eyes betrayed his obvious hurt was merely an act.

"I kissed you when we woke up." Seto protested, after swallowing the slightly less suitable reply. There were certain things Mokuba didn't need to hear from him, even if he could read them on the Internet.

Joey swallowed another spoonful of icecream. Vanilla, this time. Or banana, Seto wasn't sure.

"A kiss is not enough." Mokuba declared sternly. "You have to tell him, big brother. You *know* he isn't too smart ; he doesn't get it otherwise."

Seto thanked whatever gods were watching that Joey limited his reply to a dirty look rather than, say, shooting a drollop of icecream Mokuba's way.

"Well, I'm sure I said *something* last night." Seto said weakly.

_//I've got feelings for you//_

"I wouldn't know," Mokuba admitted cheerfully, "I never spy on you in your bedroom. Not after *someone* removed the security cameras in there anyway."

Seto shrugged. He doubted if Mokuba would really watch him and Joey do ... bedroom stuff, but just to be sure ... There was no use for them at any rate.

"We've been together for three years. Don't you think that means something?" Seto questioned.

Joey gazed at him with unusually serious eyes. "You're gone half the time, and most of the other half we spent apart just the same. I love you, and it hurts, even, " he hastily added, before Seto could say anything, "even if I know you don't have much choice."

"I explained that thing to him about the Big Five." Mokuba supplied.

"So, it's a declaration of love you want from me? Do I have to get down on my knees too and sing to you?" Seto inquired, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Joey flushed. "It's just nice to hear the words sometimes." He stared down at his icecream. "I'm not trying to force you into something you don't want to. Only ... "

_//From the first time I laid my eyes on you...//_

"Joey ... " Seto bended his head closer to Joey's, " .... there's ice-cream on your cheek."

Honey eyes looked at him startled, while Mokuba's silver laugh disagreed with his pouting expression.

~OWARI~


End file.
